How to get a UK IP Address from Any Country

All over the world, people are interested in getting a UK IP address. Some are expats who live abroad and want to regain access to geo-restricted websites for banking or other services. Other people want to gain access to British websites to help them learn English. Furthermore, some users want to access a UK IP address to watch BBC iPlayer or the British Netflix catalog. Even UK residents on holiday want to access UK websites, but can’t because of geo restrictions. With a VPN service, you can easily spoof your location to within the UK and unblock all that British content - no matter what your reason is.

In this guide, we will explain how you can join the thousands of people around the world that currently unblock UK websites by 'tunneling through' via a UK IP address!

Getting a UK IP address is easy!

Subscribe to one of the VPNs mentioned below. For unblocking a UK IP we recommend Buffered, but we will show you five world-class VPN services so that you have plenty of options.

Get an IP for UK Summary

1. Buffered

Buffered is a Gibraltar VPN that we think deserves the crown for a UK IP address. Although it has fewer server locations around the world than some other VPNs, it does have servers in 45 countries including Canada, US, Australia and of course the UK. Moreover, its UK servers are lightning fast. All major content providers work like Sky and iPlayer.

Customer care is superb, 24/7 livechat. It also has some awesome and unique features such as open port discovery - so that you can log into a hotel WiFi without having to get the password from reception! An awesome VPN for getting a UK IP address.

Likes

Fast, reliable and secure

Unblocks Netflix US and BBC iPlayer

Peer-to-peer (P2P) is permitted

Excellent website with guides and 24/7 live chat support

Excellent software for Windows and Mac

Dislikes

Rather expensive if you subscribe for one month only (but better value if purchased yearly)

2. NordVPN

Nord is a VPN that we recommend for people that want a highly secure connection! With this service, you get shared IPs, Tor over VPN, DNS leak protection, and double encryption to hide your identity even more. One slight drawback is that double encryption does slow speeds down a little. However, if you have particularly high-security needs, this is the VPN for unblocking UK IP addresses. Finally, Nord's UK servers are superb, and customer care is also fantastic. An excellent way to get a UK IP.

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3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is our third recommended VPN service for anyone that needs to unblock websites in the UK. Their service is absolutely outstanding. Encryption is top of the range OpenVPN, which means that you will be assured a secure connection. The provider has plenty of UK servers to choose from, and they are all lightning fast. Also, because there are servers in 94 countries, you can spoof your IP address to anywhere else that you fancy. Customer service is 24/7 and Express has some of the best operatives in the business. They also offer a 30-day money back guarantee, so that you can try them risk-free.

Likes

Super fast - great for streaming!

Very secure 256-bit encryption

Unlimited downloading

30-day money-back guarantee

5* 24/7 customer support

Special Deal: Save 49% Today

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4. IPVanish

IPVanish is also a VPN that is both reliable and trustworthy and perfect for getting a UK IP address. Uptime is great, and it has a selection of UK servers that are all lightning fast. Perfect for watching 4oD or BBC iPlayer (and all other UK streams). The client software will download in seconds and is super easy to use, though it admittedly it isn’t quite as featured-packed as the ones above. Encryption is industry standard OpenVPN. IPVanish also has a zero-logs policy which is great for added privacy.

Likes

Very fast speeds

Strong OpenVPN encryption + zero logs

Killswitch and DNS leak protection

Torrenting is permitted

Servers in over 60 countries

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5. VPNArea

We really like VPNArea. Firstly, it runs on brilliant client software with DNS leak protection, kill switch, auto-IP changer and server statistics. In addition, customer support is also outstanding. It also has a lot of great UK servers and provides blistering speeds. You can also get a 7-day free trial, giving you time to see if it works well for you. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed!

Likes

Kill switch included

Dedicated IP available

Unblock Netflix US and iPlayer

Good customer service

Good security features

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Here at ProPrivacy we recommend the OpenVPN encryption protocol, so please select it in your VPN's settings. Browsing some geo-blocked content is technically in breach of copyright, but OpenVPN will keep you secure and anonymous.

Remember that if you encounter any problems at all, your VPN provider will be able to answer your questions quickly to resolve any issues you have.

Connect to your chosen UK IP server

Now that the software is on your PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet (and you have selected the correct encryption), you can connect to a UK IP server.

Simply choose one of the UK servers from the list. Preferably select the one with the smallest 'ping'. That means that it is currently offering the fastest speed. Click on the fastest one on offer at that time, and click connect. Voila! You now have a UK IP address, so you can surf any restricted UK websites.

Considerations for getting a UK IP address

When getting a UK IP address from abroad there are a number of things to think about. Firstly, not every VPN service is reliable. There are over 800 VPN providers worldwide, and many of those do a terrible job of providing a VPN service.

What is the difference?

First of all, when you are spoofing your IP address to the UK to watch geo-restricted content you will want to be secure. Sadly not all VPN services offer the level of service necessary to be truly secure.

When selecting a UK VPN for getting an IP address in the United Kingdom, you will want a choice of servers, and servers that are lightning fast (for streaming HD content).

To be able to truly relax as you tunnel through via a UK IP address, you will want the peace of mind of knowing that your VPN provider is thorough about security. Therefore, not only should it offer industry standard encryption protocols but also handle your data in a reliable and secure way. Consequently, you will know that you are safe to browse any content that you want.

Go to any British Website you want!

No matter which VPN you choose from our list, you will be able to get access to British websites, including BBC iPlayer. Furthermore, you will be able to gain access to the UK (or US) Netflix catalog. This means that your VPN isn't just useful for unblocking UK bank services or subscriptions, but also for getting access to content from all over the world! In addition, all the VPNs on this list have a money back trial period (of at least 7 days). As a result, you will be able to make sure it works perfectly for you! It's important to note that not all VPNs unblock iPlayer so check out our BBC guide to see what the best VPN for BBC is.

Other Ways to get a British IP Address

While using a VPN is undoubtedly the best way to get an IP address in the UK, it’s not the only way. Other viable options are using SmartDNS, Tor, or proxy servers.

SmartDNS is commonly used among streaming enthusiasts. No surprise there: The primary reason for its creation was to allow people to reroute their DNS queries to make it look like they're located elsewhere. This allows them to access media anywhere in the world, geo-restrictions be damned. Sadly, it doesn’t offer much in terms of security and privacy. When you use SmartDNS, there’s a significant lack of encryption and your ISP will still know what site’s your visiting. Maybe not a problem for those who only care about accessing their favorite TV shows, but definitely an issue for the more safety-conscious among us.

In opposition, the infamous Tor is a free software and open network with a hardcore focus on online privacy. Its promise of anonymity makes it a huge draw for businesses, activists, whistleblowers, journalists, law enforcement, and military. By choosing the UK as an exit node as a way to appear as if you’re in the UK, you can use it to access UK media sites much like a VPN or SmartDNS. However, it’s speeds aren’t exactly lightning fast, and who wants significant lag when trying to watch the latest episode of Doctor Who?

Proxy servers are also worth mentioning in this section. There are too many to name, but you can find quite a few as browser extensions, or even with a quick Google search. While undoubtedly a good option for those looking to be thrifty, the lack of a price tag comes at the cost of slow speeds and unreliability. Signing up for a trustworthy VPN provider provides you with a peace of mind that using proxy servers lack – not to mention improved speeds!

While we think that VPNs offers the best balance in terms of speed, security, and global coverage, we acknowledge that everyone has different needs and reasons for wanting to hide their online activity. As such, they should select the service that best meets those needs – whether that be SmartDNS, Tor, proxy servers, or VPN.

UK IP Address Conclusion

In this guide we have shown you how to get a UK IP address. Although our most highly recommended VPN service for getting a UK IP is ExpressVPN, we have included a number of other services in the guide.

These VPNs all have excellent server networks that provide blistering speeds throughout their networks - perfect for streaming in HD.

Encryption is industry-standard, and all of the VPNs in this guide are tried and tested. Furthermore, they have an excellent track record for providing privacy and anonymity for their users. Because all these VPNs are top of the range, deciding which one to go for is really just a matter of personal taste!

With everything accounted for, all you need to do is decide which VPN is most suitable for you. So take another look at the providers that we have suggested and select a service confidently, safe in the knowledge that we have done the hard work for you.

Best VPNs to get a UK IP Summary

Digital privacy expert with 4+ years experience testing and reviewing VPNs. He's been quoted in The Express, Barrons, the Scottish Herald, ThreatPost, CNET & many more. Ray is currently rated number 1 VPN authority by Agilience.com.